Many TV repairs don't require professional help.
Some color TV repairs require the assistance of your set's manufacturer or an experienced repairman. This is the case when there is a serious electrical problem that requires getting inside the TV to troubleshoot and fix it. However, you can fix many problems with color television sets yourself by performing some basic checks and adjustments.
Coaxial Cables
The cable that links your color TV set to your cable TV box is called a coaxial cable. Coaxial cables have a long copper wire with a rounded metal tip that fits into the socket on the back of a TV set. Distorted image or sound quality may be caused by a problem with the coaxial cable. You can often restore image quality by simply wiggling the tip of the coaxial cable while it is in the socket, according to the Yext TV Repair website. Changing the position of the coaxial cable even slightly may yield significant improvement. If adjusting the tip's position doesn't help, check the cable itself, and its metal tip, for any signs of damage. Purchase a new cable or metal fitting from your local electrical store if you see signs of deterioration.
Demagnetization
If your color TV set is displaying fuzzy or distorted pictures, it may due to a problem with the demagnetizing function in your set. Most televisions have a built-in demagnetizer that ensures magnetic devices near the TV set don't interfere with its image quality.
You should move any items that might create magnetic interference away from the set if you are having picture problems. These include devices such as electrical motors and stereo speakers. If moving them fails to remedy the issue, you may need to demagnetize your television set using a degaussing coil, which can be purchased at most electrical stores.
Make certain your TV set is switched off. Move the degaussing coil in a circular pattern, keeping it around 3 inches from the television screen. You should observe an unstable pattern resembling a dark rainbow. Repeat this action with broadening circular motions until you have covered all parts of the screen. The set should now be free of magnetic interference.
Black Bars
Black bars often appear around the edges of images on widescreen color TVs. This is because widescreen TVs are designed to receive broadcasts in a wide aspect ratio of 16:9. Most TV broadcasts are transmitted in 4:3 standard definition, resulting in a square picture on a widescreen TV, with the edges left black. You can correct this problem by accessing the menu options on your cable box and changing the picture options so they are displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. You may also need to change the aspect ratio of your TV set, but 16:9 is normally the standard setting for widescreen TVs. The black bars should now disappear, but images may appear a little stretched.
Tags: coaxial cable, aspect ratio, degaussing coil, image quality, magnetic interference